Major Investment for Canarian Ports
In a significant boost for the Canary Islands, the Spanish Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has announced an investment exceeding €600 million for state-owned ports in the archipelago. The funding, scheduled from 2025 to 2029, is designed to enhance the competitiveness and drive the growth of these strategic national infrastructures, as highlighted by the government.
Breaking Down the Investment
The detailed investment plan was presented by the minister during an informative breakfast event organized by Diario del Puerto in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The total allocation of €607.9 million will be distributed between the two main port authorities: €353 million for the Port Authority of Las Palmas and €255 million for the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This places the Canary Islands as the fifth-highest Autonomous Community in terms of planned port investment up to 2029, following Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia, and Galicia.
Strategic Funding Areas
The bulk of the investment, over 75%, is earmarked for core infrastructure improvements. A total of €463 million will be used to increase capacity and meet future demand challenges through the expansion and enhancement of port facilities. This includes €287 million for Las Palmas and €176 million for Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Environmental sustainability is a key pillar of the plan, with €90 million dedicated to green initiatives in Canarian ports. This reaffirms the fundamental role of these infrastructures as spearheads of Spain’s energy transition. Of this amount, €42 million is allocated to Las Palmas and €48 million to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Further funding is allocated to projects that bridge the gap between ports and their cities. Approximately €24 million will go towards “port-city” initiatives aimed at bringing ports closer to citizens and improving urban quality of life. Security reinforcement receives €22 million (€15 million for Las Palmas; €7 million for Santa Cruz de Tenerife), partly to adapt facilities for the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) that will strengthen external border controls.
The investment plan is completed with funding for improving access to port facilities (€8.2 million) and digitalization projects (€2.4 million).
Key Projects on the Horizon
Several major projects are already underway or in the pipeline across the islands. These include the commercial wharf dock in Puerto del Rosario, the completion of the Dique de la Esfinge in the port of Las Palmas, and the reinforcement of the breakwater in the port of Los Cristianos in Tenerife.
Additionally, awaiting final approval from the Council of Ministers for work to begin are the closure and development of the Ribera wharf in the port of Granadilla, as well as the wharf attached to the southern Reina Sofía breakwater in the port of Las Palmas.
A notable sustainability project involves the electrification of wharves in ports under the Authority of Las Palmas and in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This will allow ships to connect to the electrical grid and shut down their auxiliary engines, significantly reducing noise and atmospheric emissions.
Annual Investment Schedule
The €607.9 million investment in the state-owned port system of the Canary Islands will be distributed annually as follows:
• Approximately €68 million in 2025
• €125.1 million in 2026
• €148.3 million in 2027
• €118.1 million in 2028
• €148.2 million in 2029
